CHANGE OF LODGINGS-APPLICANTS FOR BOOKS. 185

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can be safely made, for the conversion of Muhammedans in Persia. A German missionary, who was understood to be preparing a book against the Muhammedan religion, came near losing his life in Tabréez, about two years ago, and still more narrowly escaped, some time before, for distributing the Scriptures at Kerman-shah. Mr. Haas and his associate very wisely attempt nothing except in the circuitous way of secular instruction. In this indirect manner, however, much may be done. When the governor found that I had brought with me no Persian books, he seemed to labor to conceal his previous apprehension. He inquired how I was pleased with Oroomiah. I replied, that I was highly pleased with it,—so much so that I even thought of coming there by and by to reside. "Most welcome will you be," said he; "the whole city shall be yours." He inquired where we were stopping. In the Nestorian church," answered our Armenian servant. "What are they doing in the church?" asked the governor, with an expression of mingled mortification and surprise, as we had been commended by the authorities at Tabréez to his special care; to which the Armenian, who was not a whit behind the Muhammedans in the arts of palaver and evasion, promptly replied, (in Persian, which we did not then understand,) that, being very learned men, we were attracted to the church and its cemetery, as objects of antiquarian interest. His Excellency ordered a house to be immediately procured for our lodgings, during our stay, and directed a young beg to accompany us over the city to visit its antiquities and curiosities.

We returned to the church and had our effects removed thence to the house provided for us by the governor. Mar Elias-the bishop, and a priest or two soon called again to see us. Several applicants for books came also from distant villages; and among the rest, four little boys, on foot, from Géog-tapá, five miles distant. They belong to Mar Elias's small school. They had heard of my being in their village yesterday and having books with me; and all started immediately to procure books for themselves. They sat down around me and I gave to each a copy of the Gospels and a spelling-book, which they reverently kissed and folded to their bosoms and then read from them in a very pleasing manner. Mar Elias seemed little less gratified than myself with the exhibition. He and a priest were with us at dinner. It being Wednesday-one of their fast dayst-we had nothing they could eat but bread and grapes. In the course of the afternoon, the governor sent us presents of tea, sugar, fresh fish and bushels of grapes and melons. We were sor

Rev. Mr. Pfander.

Nestorian bishops, as has before been stated, never eat flesh. They ordinarily eat fish, eggs and the productions of the dairy, as well as vegetables. On fast days, bishops, priests and people eat nothing but vegetables. Every Wednesday and Friday are fast days-besides the numerous other special seasons-the former being the day on which Christ was betrayed, and the latter, the day of his crucifixion.

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DIRECTION OF THE FACE IN PRAYER.

ry to see the presents, as an exorbitant return is commonly expected, corresponding in amount to the rank of the Persian donor. The governor, however, had the real politeness to charge his servants who brought the articles not to receive from us a farthing,—a precaution frequently taken, among the better educated of the Persians. At evening, Mar Yohannan returned from Geog-tapá. I inquired of him what the Patriarch said, respecting his going to Tabréez. "He told me," said he, " to go home with you and do just as you say." And the bishop at the same time took from his pocket two impressions which the Patriarch had given him of his seal, directing him, inasmuch as he would himself be situated at a great distance from us and the road was often rendered impassable by Koordish hostility, to aid me in his name by the use of those impressions, in any undertaking in which I might need his influence, as in the establishment of schools, the printing of books, or in other ways. Such a mark of his confidence in me and approbation of my object was equally unexpected and gratifying. Mar Yohannan took lodgings in the same room with us. About 9 o'clock, we informed him that it was our practice to have worship, morning and evening, and we would submit the point to his pleasure, whether we should listen to him, or he to us. He replied, that we had already seen how the Nestorians pray, and now he should be very happy to see how we pray. I read a chapter from the Bible and we kneeled down and prayed. As soon as we closed, the bishop abruptly exclaimed, "it is very well." Observing Mr. H. and myself to kneel in different directions, however, he inquired which way we turn our faces, when we pray. We told him, that we are not particular on that point, as God is in all places. "God is everywhere," he repeated, "that is your reason is it?" He appeared satisfied with our answer, but added that the Nestorians direct their faces to the East, in prayer, because they expect Christ to come from that direction, basing this expectation on the passage in Matt. 24: 27, "For as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the son of man be."

Oct. 23. Two bishops and priests were again with us at breakfast. In the course of the forenoon, we walked awhile in the bazárs and called to take our leave of the governor. He again received us with much cordiality and attention. In the course of our conversation, I remarked that I had some expectation that a physician might come with me to Oróomiah, in case I should reside there; and he appeared much gratified with such a probability. Our muleteer was engaged and we had intended to set off that day on our return. But the governor wished to send letters by us, which were not yet prepared, and he had invited us to visit his gardens back of the city; and, on the whole he rather insisted on our staying until the next day. We therefore deferred our departure, and in the afternoon visited his gardens. They are about a mile in ex

GARDENS SCENERY-COMMUNION.

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tent and very tastefully laid out. Two rows of thickly studded poplars surround each, with a stream of water running between them. The gardens are also covered with thrifty fruit trees, arranged in rows and squares, and they are ornamented with rosebushes and other flowers, and fountains were here and there playing in them. We wandered through several other gardens and vineyards beyond, till our ramble brought us to the foot of the Koordish mountains. We still proceeded and ascended two or three heights, from which we enjoyed a commanding survey of the most enchanting scenery I ever beheld. We had a perfect view, first of the gar dens at the foot of the mountain; next, the city; beyond that, the vast plain, gleaming with a grateful harvest and decked with orchards and villages; and finally, the silvery lake, melting away into the blue mountains beyond, and both rising in the distance and apparently meeting the skies. Forgetting, for the moment, the moral night that broods over this beautiful scene, I could hardly resist the impression, as I gazed from the mountain-top, that my eyes were resting upon the garden of paradise.

This evening, Mar Yohannan informed me, that he had engaged, as his servant, the most intelligent priest in the province, belonging in Geog-tapa, who had always sat at the feet of Mar Elias. I inquired why he had engaged a man of such prominence as his servant, and he replied, 'in the first place, I wish to take with me a Nestorian who shall prove a worthy companion as well as servant, for me; and in the next place, I wish to take one, who shall show himself worthy also of your attention and instruction.' I could not object to either of these reasons, especially, as the bishop remarked that no additional salary would be expected, in consideration of the character and standing of his servant.

Two bishops and one priest dined with us, after our late return from our ramble, with whom we continued a friendly conversation, until 9 o'clock in the evening. They proposed to celebrate the Lord's supper to-morrow morning, for our gratification.

Oct. 24. We rose before day and went to the church. We found the bishops and priests engaged in reciting their prayers. They continued about half an hour after we arrived, and then commenced the communion service. A bishop and priest, garbed in white cotton robes, chanted the service in the sanctum sanctorum, which laymen are not allowed to enter. This service is usually performed by a priest and a deacon, but no deacon happened now to be present. The bread, at the close, was received from the hand of the superior officiator at the altar, and the wine from the inferior one, in a lower position, by the side of the altar. The wine at their communion is diluted with water, not on temperance grounds, but because water, as well as blood, flowed from the side of the Saviour. Both elements are extended to all the cominunicants. Though the whole service was far more simple than the disgusting routine of

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APOSTATE RESTORED A FINE BOY.

ceremonies which attend it in the other oriental churches, still, it was but too evidently a heartless form.

The boy, who had been forced to become a Muhammedan and recanted, the one whom Mr. Haas had taken into his service,embraced the occasion to be formally restored to the christian faith. The ordeal was this. The boy kneeled down before the altar and placed his lips upon the New Testament, and the bishop who officiated at the communion, repeated a confession to which the boy assented, and the bishop then prayed over him. After we had listened about two hours to their mummery in a dead, obsolete tongue, the ancient Syriac-Mar Elias, as if to apologize for it, called us to the altar, read a chapter of the New Testament and translated it quite intelligibly into Turkish. We set off for home about eight o'clock in the morning, amid the reiterated benedictions of bishops, priests and people. If real piety were to be estimated by the amount of pious talk, we might infer the existence of much more general and more exalted piety, in all these regions, than exists in the most devoted christian communities. The governor furnished us with an armed horseman to act as a guard and a guide, as far as Sûldooz, the next district. We rode about six and a half fursákhs, that day, and put up at the village of Dash-oghúl, stone-son. Our direction was south-east, the first half of the way, during which we passed several charming villages. We then came to the lake, where the mountain shuts down quite near the water's edge, and our direction changed to south, leading around the southwest corner of the lake. The soil, during the last part of our ride, was gravelly and uncultivated, except here and there a small Koordish hamlet, under the cliffs of the mountain. We noticed also a few black tents, at a little distance from the road, and saw almost numberless Koords, in the course of the day, returning home with their flocks from their summer rambles. The nomade Koords, who are subjects of the Persian government, are entitled to temporary homes in the villages, with their agricultural neighbors, whether Christians or Muhammedans, during the winter.

On our way, we called at Geog-tapá, the village where we had visited the Patriarch, for the priest, Mar Yohannan's servant. The whole village gathered around to welcome us. The aged father of the finest boy in Mar Elias's school led his little son-ten years oldto me and said, "I present this boy to you; you may take him with you to Tabréez." Fear of the responsibility of taking care of the boy before I could speak his language, was the only thing that enabled me to resist my inclination to receive him. I satisfied the father by proposing to take his son when I should remove to Oróomiah. He is a remarkably fine looking boy, and I think missionary bounty would be well applied in his thorough education.

The priest at length made his appearance, with his bed and prayer-book. He is a young man-about twenty years old-modest,